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Will Hornets’ LaMelo Ball Play vs Pistons?

Is LaMelo Ball playing against the Pistons on Wednesday night?
Justin Grasso|
Jan 24, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) dribbles in the second half against the Detroit Piston at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Jan 24, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) dribbles in the second half against the Detroit Piston at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

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Charlotte HornetsDetroit Pistons

As the Charlotte Hornets prepared for their Wednesday night battle against the Detroit Pistons, they were unsure about the playing status of LaMelo Ball. The veteran guard was a game-time decision.

On the Hornets’ injury report, Ball was added on Wednesday afternoon as he’s reportedly dealing with ankle soreness. He was officially downgraded to questionable for the matchup.

Will LaMelo Ball face the Pistons?
Nov 4, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) looks on against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Fortunately for Charlotte, Ball has been upgraded to available to play in Wednesday's game.

Injury concerns are nothing new to Ball. While he had a healthy start to his career through his sophomore campaign, Ball has dealt with major setbacks over the past two seasons.

In 2022-2023, Ball appeared in just 36 games for the Hornets. That run came one year after he earned All-Star honors, playing in 75 games.

Last season, Ball missed even more time. He appeared in just 22 matchups throughout the year. His year-four campaign featured 24 points, five rebounds, and eight assists per game.

Through seven games this year, Ball saw the court for roughly 33 minutes per night. He produced 29 points per game on 47 percent shooting from the field and 39 percent shooting from three. Ball is also averaging five rebounds and six assists.

Since Ball joined the Hornets as a top pick in 2021, he’s had 11 appearances against the Pistons. During that stretch of games, Ball has averaged 18 points per game on 38 percent shooting. Along with his scoring Ball produced nine assists and six rebounds per game against the Pistons.

On Wednesday night, the Pistons are searching for their third-straight win. Over the weekend, they opened up a back-to-back set with a victory against the Brooklyn Nets. On night two, the Pistons took down the Los Angeles Lakers, picking up an upset win.

The Pistons and the Hornets will meet at 7 PM ET on Wednesday.

Published
Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia

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